More Than There Are Stars In the Sky
by Preciousgurl
Summary: Voldemort is after the Potter's, but what happens when someone intervenes? Will Severus get the happy ending he deserves? Will Harry grow up with parents? Read on to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Based on Joanne's tidbits in the novels about Harry's parents, with a lot of inspiration from the Snape's memories. Hope you like! As always, the characters are Joanne Rowling's.**

"Nice mask, mister!" A child of about 8 called, walking by Voldemort. The child had chocolate smeared around his mouth and down his otherwise white ghost costume.

"Thank you," he said curtly. It almost killed him. His wand twitched, but a curse would be quite unnecessary. No, he was about to do more.

Voldemort sneered at the children's depictions of witches and wizards. People in pointy hats with green faces and little brooms. It was all well and fine when you were 5 to think that way, but real witches and wizards were terrifying, and not a mere figment of imagination. Voldemort silently put a harmless Gemino curse on the candy a small witch's cauldron, and chuckled when the bewildered child's mother gasped in horror as the child's candy multiplied at their touch. When no one was looking, he opened the gate to the Potter's cottage. Silently, his robes billowing, he strode up the walk way.

_How picturesque, _he thought malevolently_. Father making bubbles with his wand as the little boy clapped happily at them. They think they're so safe and sound in their cozy little home. So young and naïve. Oh look, daddy's leaving his wand on the settee. Fool._

"Alohomora," Voldemort whispered. The lock to the Potter's small cottage opened. James nearly bumped into him as he pretended to chase Harry up the stairs.

"Lily! It's him! Get Harry upstairs, I'll hold him off!" James ran to the living room, grabbing his wand.

"Stupid boy!" Voldemort roared. "You think you can defeat me?"

"James!" Lily looked over the landing at her husband. Lily felt helpless as she held her infant son. Her heart sank as she realized her wand was downstairs in the kitchen, and without it, she would surely die. She'd left it there after they'd washed up, never thinking she'd need it. Lily's mind cleared as she realized there was a magic she could do beyond anything Voldemort was capable of. There was hope.

With the knowledge that her husband was within an inch of his life, she took their son to the nursery. Silently, she sat with him in the rocking chair, holding him close for the last time.

"Harry, you are so loved. Your mummy loves you more than life itself, and daddy is downstairs fighting for you. We love you more than there are stars in the sky or fish in the sea." Lily kissed her son's cheek. Little Harry gurgled and clapped his hands.

"Fishies? Momma, fishies?" He gazed up wide-eyed, and Lily felt a tear streak down her face.

"You are my most special precious treasure, my darling. No matter what happens, mummy and daddy will always look after you. You are destined to do great things, Harry."

Suddenly, there was a bone chilling scream. It was unlike anything Lily had ever heard, and she knew exactly what it was. Lily sobbed, and continued through her tears as he screamed again.

"Harry, you are loved…" the room began to glow with a warm golden light. Everything went silent.

"Lily?"

"Severus!" Lily continued sobbing. "James! Help James! Voldemort, he just…"

"It's alright Lily, everything is alright."

"But how…?"

Severus took Harry, who instantly fell asleep. "I knew Pettigrew would tip Voldemort off, the vermin. Sirius went after him, but he escaped into the sewer. I came here, to help you and James. We did it Lil, we defeated Voldemort. He's dead."

"And James? How is he?" Lily stroked her sleeping son's hair.

"I don't know," Severus sighed, tears in his eyes. "I did all I could, really! He's alive, but only just. Alistair and McGonagall took him to St Mungo's."

"What happened?" Lily asked.

"We're not exactly sure, but we think he's been cursed, or something. It's pretty bad, Lil. There was so much blood…"

"He fought for us, you know," Lily wiped away her tears with her sleeve. "He stood there and fended him off for us. He's a good man."

"I know, Lily," Severus held out his hand to her. "I'm so glad you and Harry are safe."

"Thank you, Severus," Lily hugged him, her son between them. "I don't know how to thank you enough."

"You have to thank McGonagall, Moody and James," Severus said, leading her across the landing. Lily blanched at the blood across the floor.

"He'll be fine," Severus reassured her. He silently vanished the blood.

"I just can't imagine Harry growing up without a father," Lily sobbed. "I mean, James isn't perfect, but I love him and he's the best dad around."

"You should go to St Mungo's," Severus said, still holding Harry. "I'll tidy up here. Lil?"

"Yes?" Lily looked over her shoulder at her best friend.

"I love you," Severus smiled.

"I love you too Sev," Lily smiled back. She kissed Harry's forehead, and smoothed his hair before she disappeared into a white whisp.

Harry stirred in his sleep, and Severus smiled as the child grasped his finger tightly. "You have no idea how lucky you are," Severus said, his mouth twitching.


	2. Chapter 2

Lily Apparated to St Mungos. Her tear streaked face drew attention as she raced through the ward she's been directed to. "James…James Potter…have you seen my husband?" She repeated over and over again to each of the healers. She knew he had to be here, yet all the healers and assistants had answered her no so far. Lily pulled out her wand in a fit of frustration, "Point me," she said. Her breathing was ragged as she charged through the door of James' room. James lay under a pile of blankets, and bandages encompassed his face and limbs. Something oozed foul smelling liquid on his neck. It had eaten through the bandages.

Lily calmed down a bit, realizing that her alarm would only scare her husband.

"Hey," she smiled weakly.

"Lil," James croaked."You're alive!"

"We're safe," Lily said. She fought back tears and took her husband's heavily bandaged hand in her own.

"Severus," James coughed violently. "I owe him my life. He came…bursting through…killed…"

Lily squeezed his hand gently. "Don't speak," she pressed her lips to his bandaged head. "Rest now, love. I'll be here with you, don't worry."

"I love you, Lily. Tell Harry about me," James said, gasping. The wound on his neck gurgled.

"James," Lily said through gritted teeth, "You are NOT going to die. You are going to live, and you'll get to tell Harry, no, _show_ Harry what a great man you are!"

James smiled and closed his eyes. Soon, his breathing slowed.

A healer bustled into the room. "Visiting hours were over ages ago, dear," the middle aged woman said. She began changing and cleaning up James' face, and attempted to clean the wound on James' neck. Meanwhile, James remained asleep.

"Please, "Lily said, not letting go of her husband's hand. "I'm his wife. I'd really rather stay here."

The healer gave her a disapproving look. "Mr Potter is in bad condition. He's been hit with curses we've never seen before. He's not doing well."

"He's not going to die, is he?" Lily asked. Tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"I can't say dear," the healer said, her wand hovering over wounds, healing them. "The wound on his neck, although it's only an hour old, seems to be eating away his flesh at a rather alarming rate. Who knows if he makes it through the night?"

"You're not terribly optimistic," Lily wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

Three more healers came bursting into the room. "It's a sarcophagi curse," one said, the youngest, brandishing his wand. "The only way to contain and then eradicate the curse is to apply a counter curse."

"No kidding, Travers," the oldest healer of the three scoffed. "What Travers meant to say is…"

"I don't bloody care!" Lily said, frustrated. "I get that you're all in training, but my husband is dying here. Please, save him."

The healers looked at Lily in disbelief. The oldest was already at James' bedside muttering incantations underneath his breath. The wound turned about four different colours and smelt faintly of roses by the time he finished. Lily winced at the gaping wound in her husband's neck.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I can only contain it for now."

"Will he make it, at least through the night?" Lily asked.

"I don't know. There's so much damage, and without knowing what hit him…"

"Sev," Lily said, urgently. "Get me Severus Snape. And Horace Slughorn! They'll know what to do, I hope."

The healer, Travers, trotted from the room. Frantically he tried to think of where to begin summoning Horace Slughorn and Severus Snape. Owls. He needed owls. Travers ran down the hall, his healer's coat flapping behind him.

"Oi! Watch it!" Someone yelled. Travers shouted out his apologies, but kept moving. For his first day, it was turning out to be rather interesting. Frantically, he wrote two letters. The welcome witch was displeased at the fact that he used her quill, her desk…and well, basically had taken over the welcome witch podium in favour of letter writing. The disgruntled young woman stood and glowered at Travers as witch and wizard alike asked her which way it was to the wards clearly posted above her.

"Thank you, Wilhelmina!" Travers called over his shoulder. Once again, he was off to a run to the owlry, to the left of the lobby. After summoning two regular barn owls (right after nearly face planting on the owlry floor, courtesy of untied shoelaces), he finally sat down in the lobby to have a breather.

"Did you 'ear," another young healer plopped beside Travers, "you know 'oo was killed tonigh'?"

Travers mouth dropped open.

"Yeah," the healer said. "Bloke 'oo finished 'im off was one of 'is followers, eh?"

"No kidding," Travers said in disbelief. He wondered if his patient had anything to do with it.

"Wen' after the Potter's, you know 'oo did, somefink about the Oder bein' too much involved, if you know wha' I mean," the healer nudged Travers. "Wanted to finish 'em off, one by one, somefink about bein' a threat, like."

"Who killed him, though?" Travers said.

"Well, 'eard summat 'round the corridors, like," the healer said, getting up with Travers. "I 'eard Severus Snape did it, but 'e's all up wiff Dumbledore, ain't 'e? Somefink don' add up."

"No," Travers said. He was beginning to get bored of his talkative colleague. He peered through the various doors as they walked by the "Magical Maladies" wing.

"I mean, it's all rumours righ' now, but summat ain't righ'. Somefink dark's goin' on, I reckon," the healer said. He peered into James' room. "Like, look at tha' bloke! Summat nasty musta 'it him. Look at the size of that 'ole in his neck! Whachoo reckon tha's a jealous lady friend or summat?"

"Actually," Travers said brightly, hoping to get rid of the annoying healer. "That 'bloke' is James Potter."

"No kidding," the healer said, peering through the small glass window. "Choo waitin' for mate? Looks like 'e's got a long recov'ry if you ask me, eh? Unfortunate. Tha's wha' 'appens when you get on the wrong end of you know 'oo!"


End file.
